Foot-ball.



G. L. PIERCE.

FOOT BALL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1911.

, 1,002,928. Patented sept. 12, 191,1.

Attest: "Inventor: M6371( Kfm coLuMslA PLANOGRAPH co., WASMINGTN. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE L. PIERCE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

FOOT-BALL.

To all whom il may concern.

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. PIERCE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foot-Balls, of which the following is a specification.

My present improvement is an improve` ment in foot balls, relating more particularly to the tongue of the ball. Perhaps the chief difliculty with kfoot balls is with the breaking of the bladder or rubber inflatable inside member. This usually occurs in the part of the bladder which is at the mouth of the ball or at the inflating nipple, especially where it joins the bladder. It is the purpose of my present invention to remedy this defect by an improvement in the tongue of the ball to protect said portion of the bladder and nipple.

In the drawings wherein I have shown one specific embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a plan View of a foot ball embodying my improvement; Fig. 2 is a vertical section being a partial view on an enlarged scale corresponding to the upper portion of Fig. 3 except that the nipple is shown projecting upwardly in inflating position instead of laced down as in Fig. 3; and Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3 in Fig. l looking in the direction of the arrows, said section being on an enlarged scale and the nipple and the portions of the bladder at the base of the nipple being shown in elevation.

I will now describe the devices of the drawings, reserving it to the claims to point out the novel features and to define the scope of the invention, it being understood that the claims will be given the due range of equivalents to which they are entitled.

l is the leather body of the ball having the usual mouth 2 adapted to be laced together.

3 is the bladder consisting of the usual rubber inflatable inside member having the nipple 4.

5 designates inside reinforcing strips secured at the sides of the mouth of the body by stitching-6.

7 is the improved tongue consisting of an upper leather layer 7a and a lower felt or soft pad layer 7b. The tongue is held in place at the mouth of the body by stitching Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by Washington, D. C.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led .Tune 21, 1911.

Patented Sept. 12, 1911. Serial No. 634,500.

8 attaching it thereto. The two layers are united by stitching 9 and the padding layer at 7I extends beyond the edges of the nipple opening in the leather layer to there protect the wall of the nipple from being cut through by contacting with said leather edges. Further, the padding layer at its outer edges extends beyond and underlies the marginal edges of the leather layer of the tongue, thereby protecting the bladder from abrasive or cutting contact with said edges and with the edges of the reinforcing strips 5.

Figs. l and 3 show the improved foot ball inflated and partially laced up and serve in connection with Fig. 2 clearly to show how very eifectually the improved tongue protects the bladder and nipple. Hitherto, the art has always considered merely the protection of the bladder and nipple from cutting by the lacing and has overlooked the importance of protecting these parts from the tongue itself which is what the present improvement effects.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An improved foot ball comprising thev combination of a body having a laced mouth, a bladder having an inilating nipple, a tongue within the body at its mouth, consisting of an upper leather layer and a lower padding layer, said tongue having an opening through it for the nipple to project through, said padding layer projecting beyond the marginal edges of the leather layer and beyond the edges of the nipple opening through said leather layer.

2. An improved foot ball comprising the combination of a body having a laced mouth, a bladder having an inlating nipple, a tongue within the body at its mouth consisting of an upper leather layer, and a lower padding layer, said tongue having an opening through it for the nipple to project through, the padding layer extending beyond the edges of the nipple opening through the leather layer.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE L. PIERCE.

Witnesses:

E. W. SCHERR, Jr., ALAN C. vMCDONNELL.

addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 

